don’t get into fist fights. And, they don’t usually forgive each other that easily!” Her voice was starting to travel across the lake.
“Oh well. Maybe we aren’t the kind of friends you’re accustomed to.”
“Oh, you mean the kind that enable me to make asinine choices?” she snapped without thinking. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m not accustomed to it.”
“Ouch, Red.”
“I’m sorry. I just, I see so much potential in you. You’re so passionate and alive. I just hate to see you in trouble. Which is often.” She trailed off, not wanting to confess any more. Her filter was already on the fritz.
“Maybe you could use a little trouble.” He elbowed her arm and winked.
“Maybe,” she grinned.
The time seemed to pass too quickly. The light was rising on the horizon and the two of them had gone through her pack of cigarettes. Charlie couldn’t remember laughing that hard in a long time. It felt cleansing, like a hearty laugh usually does. But they both looked exhausted. She smelled like lake water as she hadn’t taken a shower after her swim earlier that evening, and her hair was now a frizzy disaster. They were both in desperate need of hosing down, but neither of them seemed to notice as they just lay on the beach soaking in the ambience of the night.
Jesse’s stomach growled.
“Ha! Hungry?” she asked.
“Famished. You girls have anything to eat around here?”
“No. We catch all of our meals. But there’s a fishing pole on the dock and fresh leeches in the fridge,” she deadpanned.
He raised an eyebrow.
Simultaneously, an outburst of laughter came from both of them.
Slap-happy.
“Oh Jess! If you could see your face right now…it’s the ugliest I’ve ever seen you! You seriously look like you’ve been hit by a truck!” Charlie couldn’t contain her laughter.
“You should see Jake! I actually won the fight!” Jess exclaimed, trying to hold in his chuckle by wrapping his arm around his stomach.
“What happened to your labret? Did someone pluck it from your face?” Charlie managed to ask, failing to keep a straight face.
“It happened at the police station. I was a drunken ass when they were trying to book me. There was this crazy ninja move they did on me! I barely remember it, but I do remember my face hitting the concrete floor…” he continued, laughing heartily. “They had to strap my ass down so I wouldn’t try to fight. They even wore helmets and face shields just in case I spit on them!”
“Ha! I can…just see it!” Charlie said, trying to gasp for air. “Jess is in a straight jacket while armed men in helmets are trying to keep him down!”
They were both rolling on the beach trying to catch their breath as they calmed themselves down from their laughing fits.
“Okay, let’s go find some food in the kitchen.” She stood and wiped the sand from her arms and legs, letting out a residual snicker.
“Oh, Charlie?”
“Huh?”
“I have one more confession to make.” He looked down at the sand and picked up a small shell.
“I’m listening.” She waited.
He threw the shell back in the lake and smiled, not meeting her eyes.
“I saw you last night. Coming out of the water, picking up your clothes, and walking to the fire.”
He stopped smiling when he saw her reaction.
Chapter Thirteen
Her breathing went ragged and she felt light-headed. Her knees weakened and she started to shake. No! A flash of her casual stroll, her mind far from Jesse at the time, tumbled into her mind. She had been far from self-doubt, drunk on life and margaritas.
“Whoa. Charlie? Are you okay? You look like you’re about to fall down.” He grabbed her arms as her knees buckled.
She kept her head down, refusing to look at him.
“Hey. You okay?” Jesse said softly, tipping her chin up.
Her eyes still to the ground, a tear escaped and she whispered, “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I think you’re just tired. Let’s get you to your bed.”
“No, not that.
“Oh well. Maybe we aren’t the kind of friends you’re accustomed to.”
“Oh, you mean the kind that enable me to make asinine choices?” she snapped without thinking. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m not accustomed to it.”
“Ouch, Red.”
“I’m sorry. I just, I see so much potential in you. You’re so passionate and alive. I just hate to see you in trouble. Which is often.” She trailed off, not wanting to confess any more. Her filter was already on the fritz.
“Maybe you could use a little trouble.” He elbowed her arm and winked.
“Maybe,” she grinned.
The time seemed to pass too quickly. The light was rising on the horizon and the two of them had gone through her pack of cigarettes. Charlie couldn’t remember laughing that hard in a long time. It felt cleansing, like a hearty laugh usually does. But they both looked exhausted. She smelled like lake water as she hadn’t taken a shower after her swim earlier that evening, and her hair was now a frizzy disaster. They were both in desperate need of hosing down, but neither of them seemed to notice as they just lay on the beach soaking in the ambience of the night.
Jesse’s stomach growled.
“Ha! Hungry?” she asked.
“Famished. You girls have anything to eat around here?”
“No. We catch all of our meals. But there’s a fishing pole on the dock and fresh leeches in the fridge,” she deadpanned.
He raised an eyebrow.
Simultaneously, an outburst of laughter came from both of them.
Slap-happy.
“Oh Jess! If you could see your face right now…it’s the ugliest I’ve ever seen you! You seriously look like you’ve been hit by a truck!” Charlie couldn’t contain her laughter.
“You should see Jake! I actually won the fight!” Jess exclaimed, trying to hold in his chuckle by wrapping his arm around his stomach.
“What happened to your labret? Did someone pluck it from your face?” Charlie managed to ask, failing to keep a straight face.
“It happened at the police station. I was a drunken ass when they were trying to book me. There was this crazy ninja move they did on me! I barely remember it, but I do remember my face hitting the concrete floor…” he continued, laughing heartily. “They had to strap my ass down so I wouldn’t try to fight. They even wore helmets and face shields just in case I spit on them!”
“Ha! I can…just see it!” Charlie said, trying to gasp for air. “Jess is in a straight jacket while armed men in helmets are trying to keep him down!”
They were both rolling on the beach trying to catch their breath as they calmed themselves down from their laughing fits.
“Okay, let’s go find some food in the kitchen.” She stood and wiped the sand from her arms and legs, letting out a residual snicker.
“Oh, Charlie?”
“Huh?”
“I have one more confession to make.” He looked down at the sand and picked up a small shell.
“I’m listening.” She waited.
He threw the shell back in the lake and smiled, not meeting her eyes.
“I saw you last night. Coming out of the water, picking up your clothes, and walking to the fire.”
He stopped smiling when he saw her reaction.
Chapter Thirteen
Her breathing went ragged and she felt light-headed. Her knees weakened and she started to shake. No! A flash of her casual stroll, her mind far from Jesse at the time, tumbled into her mind. She had been far from self-doubt, drunk on life and margaritas.
“Whoa. Charlie? Are you okay? You look like you’re about to fall down.” He grabbed her arms as her knees buckled.
She kept her head down, refusing to look at him.
“Hey. You okay?” Jesse said softly, tipping her chin up.
Her eyes still to the ground, a tear escaped and she whispered, “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I think you’re just tired. Let’s get you to your bed.”
“No, not that.
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